Aston Villa legend Des Bremner tells fans to forget Alex McLeish’s Birmingham City connections

EPL ; Alex McLeish – Gerard Houllier, Birmingham City v Aston Villa(Getty Images)

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Former Aston Villa midfielder Des Bremner has told the Villa fans to forget new manager Alex McLeish’s past with Birmingham City and focus on the future and what he can bring to their club.

The 1981 league title winner and hero of Villa’s European Cup triumph in 1982 believes the fans should forget the intense rivalry in the Second City and support their new manager, something Bremner himself is familiar with.

He told the club’s official website: “The board has made a decision and you’ve got to accept it and support the manager as best as you can.

“Obviously he’s been at Birmingham for a while and he knows the passion and the rivalry between the two sets of supporters so it’s going to be difficult to win everyone over.

“Some of the fans have voiced their opinions and views as to his appointment but football is football and a decision has been made.

“They need to get behind him now.

“Alex is a guy that likes a challenge and obviously he’s going to have a challenge at Aston Villa.

“He did well as a player and he’s had success in various roles as a manager.

“He won the League Cup at Blues which was a great achievement. He’s had success up in Scotland and he took Blues up in the Championship but he has taken them down twice of course.

“That’s now just part of his history, his future is now at Aston Villa.

“He’s a manager that’s had a lot of experience over the time and he’s obviously learned a lot during that time.

“He wouldn’t have taken the job on if he didn’t think he was a strong enough manager to win over the fans who are currently against him.

“He’s got to win them over though by proving that he is the right man for the job.”

Bremner joined Birmingham City from Aston Villa in 1984, and believes he was accepted  as a member of the team because he gave 100 percent for his new team, despite the intense rivalry between the two clubs.